Oils spills are one of the many ways killer whales have become endangered. The oil may be eaten or enter the whale's blowhole. A blowhole is a hole in the top of the whales head to help them breathe. Whales will rise up over the water to take a breath. If the blowhole gets plugged with oil, the whale cannot breathe.

The main reason that whales die after a spill is when they eat a fish that swam through the oil. If a fish swam through the oil, the whale will eat the oil along with the fish. Because the whale eats the oil it gets poisoned and will die.